Washington County Attorney’s Office—2018 Annual Report 3 Message from the County Attorney… In 2018 our Office continued to carry out our duties as ministers of justice with a strong emphasis on protecting public safety and maintaining the public’s trust and confidence that we do so fairly. In fact, our response to the opioid crisis is one area that we highlighted for review and special attention. First, we spent considerable time and thoughtful effort on how we could help bring about change in criminal behavior by highlighting treatment over incarceration for those with chemical dependency issues that have been brought into the criminal justice system. Our prosecutors revamped our diversion program in 2018 to permit entry for more individuals charged with drug possession offenses. The goal is to incentivize treatment by offering those individuals who are charged with drug possession crimes a path to redemption that keeps them out of jail if they agreed to enter a drug treatment program, participate in random drug testing, and follow all recommendations and requirements. If the individual completes the program and remains crime free, they are able to avoid jail time and instead make amends to the community. At the same time, our prosecutors have continued to aggressively prosecute drug dealers and hold the pharmaceutical companies responsible for preventing the misuse of their products. In addition, our office has worked hard to find the proper resources to make treatment immediately available for those individuals without private health insurance. Our office is partnering with the Sheriff, Public Health, Community Corrections, Community Services, and outside private healthcare providers to identify available treatment beds and immediately enroll persons that are involved in the criminal justice system with in the proper treatment program. We hope to be able to report in the future about our success in this area. Now let me share more about what we delivered in 2018 for our community, law enforcement partners, and citizens inside and outside the courtroom. In 2018 over 7,000 people attended over 110 presentations sponsored by county attorney’s office staff in areas of police training and crime prevention. Our dedicated prosecutors filed 1,293 criminal complaints in 2018. As we move forward, our office will build on the accomplishments of 2018 and set the bar higher for the coming year. The dedicated and hard-working employees of the county attorney’s office strive every day to seek justice on behalf of the citizens of Washington County. Members of the office remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the citizens of this great county and we look forward to working with you and our communities to make a difference in the quality of life for all citizens of Washington County. Thanks everyone for your support! Pete Orput